by Sarah Noffke
Apparently, the answer was no because Nathaniel, the coward, spun at once and sprinted for the stairs that led back up to the city streets of Las Vegas. Evan didn’t hesitate before springing forward after him.
Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
The commotion up ahead didn’t fill Wilder with confidence that he was simply going to be breaking up a house party. It seemed more likely that he would be breaking into a riot of unruly demon dragonriders who were jeering at dogfights or dragon fights or mortal fights.
Sophia’s orders to not use lethal force made the possibilities that much more difficult. It was always easier to stop an enemy with brute force. Disbanding people and only restraining them was much harder. It took precision and care, and that was probably one of the reasons that the Rogue Riders didn’t bother with it.
Wilder spied a doorway ahead that seemed connected to all the loud noises since various voices echoed from the opening. Light also spilled out into the dark tunnel.
He had no idea what he was walking into, but he knew that he was outnumbered. However, he had a few things to his advantage. One was that he was at least a hundred years older than any of the magician dragonriders he was approaching. He was confident of that. That meant he had experience and training on his side.
The other thing was that as a weapons expert, elected by the Protector of Weapons—Subner—he could feel an arsenal of swords and other weaponry in the room ahead. His gift gave him a few advantages in battle and otherwise. One was that he could feel and see a weapon's memories, knowing all the fights that it had experienced.
In this case, Wilder knew that the weapons in the room he approached weren’t that old. They didn’t have very many memories. They were also cowards’ weapons. Regardless, whatever magical powers Subner had imbued in Wilder gave him a special dominance over these weapons that was different from his power with swords and axes and other things with blades.
He tensed outside the room with all the noise and light, which he suspected was large, based on the information he was getting from the many weapons he felt on the other side of the wall.
He drew in a breath, braced himself, then turned into the doorframe, facing a room full of demon dragonriders and mortals. They all looked up at him at once, menace springing to their faces at the sight of him. These men likely felt no intimidation about a single Dragon Elite member walking up on them because guns and ammunition surrounded them.
Wilder smiled to himself, realizing how wrongly they’d placed their confidence.
Chapter One Hundred Fourteen
The rat feet scuttling next to Sophia nearly made her laugh, knowing that they belonged to Lunis. She wasn’t trying to make fun of the blue dragon by turning him into a rat. It seemed like the best option, but she knew he was angry about the whole thing.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered in the darkened corridor as they made their way to an unknown destination ahead.
He squeaked his indignation.
She sighed. “You’re not talking to me now. I wasn’t trying to humiliate you or anything.”
Another squeak.
“Oh, good,” she remarked. “You’re acting real mature about this whole thing.”
The scuttling beside her halted. Sophia took a few steps before she realized that Lunis wasn’t right beside her. She paused and looked back, barely making out his beady eyes reflecting the ambient light ahead. His rat nose sniffed.
Sophia tensed. Something was wrong…well, more wrong than being in the tunnels under Las Vegas with a bunch of demon dragonriders.
She blinked at her dragon. Rather, the rat that was her dragon presently. “What is it?” she hissed.
His nose twitched back and forth like he was picking up a scent on the putrid breeze. Lunis’ eyes focused behind her.
Sophia glanced over her shoulder. There was minimal light ahead to make out the tunnel in the distance. She could see a bend in the corridor and a lot of trash and junk ahead, but that was basically it.
Turning back, she shrugged at Lunis. “Is it a mortal? A demon dragonrider? Versalee?”
The rat form of Lunis shook his head and mouthed, “It’s a dragon.”
Fear shivered down Sophia’s spine. She froze. The only part of her able to move was her neck, and she looked over her shoulder as a dragon lumbered into the corridor from around the bend. It had to duck to move in the narrow space, but there it was, straight in front of her, its dark eyes narrowing on her as it opened its mouth, ready to shoot fire straight down the concrete corridor.
Chapter One Hundred Fifteen
Evan took off after Nathaniel immediately, not sure where the Rogue Rider was heading, but also not caring. Ever since he’d met that demon dragonrider in the air over the elves’ homeland island, he’d wanted to give him a proper punishment. Now was his chance. Sophia had stated that Nathaniel and Versalee could meet their end. It was time that redhead got what was coming to him.
Evan followed Sophia because he believed her instinct in battle was right. In this instance, he was confident she was right. The other Rogue Riders were like those lemmings at the Gullington. They’d do what they were told. But Nathaniel…he was pure evil, doing things because he was greedy and corrupt and had no desire to make the world a better place.
That was the thing. Evan believed the Rogue Riders could be selfish and dabble in the criminal world, but as dragonriders also want the overarching good for the world. That’s why the angels and Mama Jamba had created the dragonriders in the first place, right?
He couldn’t believe that the angel riders were created only to protect and the demon riders solely to destroy. That seemed counterintuitive. They had to be about balance and in achieving that, it meant some fat had to be trimmed.
Speeding up the stairs, Evan watched as Nathaniel exited a door at the top, continuing to flee.
Coward. Of course, the demon dragonrider was running. That was what the weak did, and Nathaniel knew that if he came face-to-face with the Dragon Elite member that he would be swiftly defeated.
Spilling out of the door, Evan found himself back on the streets of Las Vegas, sirens echoing all around. There was still chaos on the Strip. They’d have to deal with that later. For now, he needed to put an end to this so-called leader who was too wimpy to face him directly.
Evan spun back and forth in the darkening streets trying to locate Nathaniel. The sun had set fast, and the bright lights from the casinos were taking over, casting a strange glow on the pavement.
Catching sight of the green dragon, Evan watched as Nathaniel jumped onto its back and yanked hard on the reins, urging the majestic creature into the air as if he was a racehorse and not his partner.
The dragon’s head jerked from side to side, but the creature finally took off, launching into the air, green wings beating against the wind as the rider and dragon gained altitude over Las Vegas.
Evan wasn’t worried they’d get away. This was his fight, this time.
He snapped his fingers, unhurried, and a moment later, Coral arrived beside him almost silently.
“Right on time, lovely,” he said sweetly to his lifelong companion while gracefully climbing on her back. Without a word or a movement, the purple dragon sprang into the air, quickly going after the Rogue Rider. This fight might not be easy or fair, but for Evan, there was only one way it could end.
Chapter One Hundred Sixteen
“Hey, guys!” Wilder said with a broad smile.
Everyone in the room bolted upright. Many grabbed the weapons besides them. That included everything from machetes to swords to guns, all of them pointed at Wilder.
The smile on his face not faltering, Wilder held up his hands. “Oh, hey. Calm down. I’m lost and wondering if you can point me in the direction of the closest Jamba Juice.”
“He’s one of those Dragon Elite,” a burly Rogue Rider said. “I saw him out on the Strip when they were fighting us.”
Wilder kept his hands up. “Actually, guys, we weren’t trying to
fight you at all. I believe we saved you from getting your butts handed to you from a mob of angry magicians.”
There were laughs from all around. “They’re lucky they didn’t bring our wrath down on them.”
Wilder shook his head and clicked his tongue. “I think you misunderstand how it works.”
A few of the mortals narrowed their eyes and reached for guns. Wilder arched an eyebrow at them, not deterred, the look on his face saying, “Are you sure you want to do that?”
“We don’t, Goody-Two-Shoes,” a Rogue Rider said and strode forward carrying a long knife. “We’re dragonriders and magicians are just—”
“What you are and always have been but without the dragon?” Wilder supplied, cutting him off.
“Don’t mouth off to me,” the guy snarled. “You’re alone and outnumbered.” He laughed, a booming sound. “You should have known better than to come here by yourself.”
Wilder pretended to hang his head like he felt defeated, stomaching the smell of sweat and garbage from the large room. “Yeah, I’m such a ditz. I thought I could come down here and convince you all to stop being dumb faces and fighting the Dragon Elite. I thought I could convince you that we’re the stronger of the two organizations, and we could all benefit if you simply bowed to our jurisdiction since we’re the more powerful entity.”
Laughter erupted around the large concrete room.
“Yeah, that was your mistake,” the guy in front of Wilder stated. “Simply naïve. Now you’re going to pay the price.” His eyes flickered down to the sword in Wilder’s hand. “That’s all you brought to stop us? Nice try.”
Wilder shrugged and sheathed the sword. “Yeah, I wasn’t thinking. There’s all of you and one of me. I have one weapon, and you have all those guns.”
Another chorus of laughter. “Yeah, you’re a real idiot. What were you thinking?”
Wilder held his hands up, not in surrender this time, but rather as if he was about to throw a huge, magical spell at the room of magicians, mortals, and weapons in front of him. “I guess I thought that even if I’m alone, I still control every single weapon in this room, so brace yourselves.”
Chapter One Hundred Seventeen
The demon dragon opened its mouth. Before Sophia could react, fire shot from it. Locked in the long concrete tunnel, she had no options. Running would only put her a short distance from the flames. Teleporting under those circumstances would be impossible. There was nowhere to go. No magic that could save her.
She spied the red and orange of the flames as they shot from the dragon’s mouth. They flew at her and were seconds from scorching her to bits. Then a black wall suddenly blotted them out, and all Sophia saw was black. Wait, not just black…there was more.
She blinked, cleared her vision, and took in the different information from her senses. She spied blue and eyes and a wall of…Lunis.
Sophia’s eyes adjusted and she noticed that the blue dragon had morphed into his usual form and was standing right in front of her, his wing extended and his face looking directly at her. Lunis had sacrificed himself to block the attack, protecting her.
Sophia ran forward, hugging her dragon. “Lunis, are you okay?”
He nodded while holding her in tightly with one arm. The other stayed extended, the wing shielding them, blocking the corridor where the other dragon stood a short distance away. “Remember that fire from another dragon doesn’t easily penetrate our hide. If this runt keeps it up, yeah it will sting, but I’m okay for now.”
“Thank you,” Sophia said, her throat tight from emotion, realizing what her dragon had done to save her by springing into action.
Lunis hugged her tightly before releasing her. “No problem. Now I have to blast this fly before he realizes what’s happening. Currently, he’s probably trying to figure out where the magical wall came from.”
Sophia looked up at her dragon from his clutches. “Do you have to hurt him? He belongs to a demon dragonrider, and you know we don’t want to hurt them if we can avoid it.”
Lunis considered this. “Yeah, fine. Can you disguise me as something that we all know dragons fear intensely, especially a newborn?”
Sophia grinned, knowing exactly what he meant. She stood back and aimed her finger at her dragon. He transformed instantly, shrinking down and taking away the wall that was him guarding and hiding her. She simultaneously shrank into the shadows out of the dragon’s view.
From her hiding place, she spied the smaller dragon catch sight of Lunis. He at first looked confused. Then surprised. Then completely scared.
Lunis in the form of a mortal toddler with sticky hands and large eyes reached forward. “Dragon! Want to touch! Want to lick!” Then with his short stumpy legs, Lunis ran for the dragon, hands reaching.
The demon dragon’s eyes widened with horror. The creature spun and ran off in the direction it had come, retreating from the tiny mortal child.
Sophia laughed. Dragons were majestic. They were brave. Neither did they want to kill tiny mortals nor be clobbered by them.
“You’re a genius, Lunis,” Sophia muttered to herself, setting off once more down the darkened corridor, alone.
Chapter One Hundred Eighteen
Coral and Evan took off into the night sky over Las Vegas, soaring higher and faster than Nathaniel and his green dragon not far in the distance.
Evan felt sorry for the redhead, but not that sorry. He’d been warned. Had been told to change his ways or there would be repercussions. The first two times, Evan and Coral had taken it easy on the Rogue Rider. Now there would be no lenient measures and for a cocky new demon dragonrider that would come as a shock when he was defeated so swiftly.
Don’t be too self-assured, Coral urged Evan over the telepathic link they shared.
He patted his dragon and smiled as the cityscape took shape below them. I can often be too confident, but I assure you, in this instance, I am not. A brand-new dragonrider who thinks he owns the world and fails to realize the Dragon Elite were created to protect it deserves my wrath. I have every confidence I’ll give it to him.
Almost as though sharing Evan’s confidence, Nathaniel whipped around on his dragon when on the other side of the Eiffel Tower over the Paris Hotel and Casino, hovering in the air as the pair approached.
The redhead had a smug look on his face as he gripped the reins connected to his dragon. “You ready to go down?”
Evan laughed, having heard the dragonrider just fine thanks to the chi of the dragon. “If you mean down to that place that serves killer nachos, then yes. Are you ready to go down after I kill you?”
“You can try,” Nathaniel said, and because he was full of no new tricks, Evan thought, he held up his hand and shot a bolt of lightning at them.
Evan and Coral easily swerved out of its trajectory. Unfortunately, it hit the Bellagio behind them. Evan shook his head, leaned low on his dragon, and chased after the Rogue Rider. “The damn Bellagio can’t catch a break lately. Last time the fountains and structural damage and now this.”
Nathaniel and his dragon weren’t bad fliers, he observed, watching as they snaked around Planet Hollywood and shot in the opposite direction. Still, there was one thing they misunderstood on a fundamental level.
When a dragon and its rider truly fly together, there is no beginning or end, he thought to himself, taking off around a crane over a spot of new development. There’s no reason to plan or overthink. The two fuse and simply know. Nathaniel keeps trying to run, to outmaneuver, but when you’re one, it just happens.
Evan looked over his shoulder as he came to the other side of the crane, not knowing exactly why he and Coral had chosen that spot, but knowing it was right. They hovered on the opposite side of the enormous structure meant to pick up large objects and transport them onto buildings not yet erected. It resembled a large see-saw.
Nathaniel sped in their direction on the green dragon. When he was right on the other side of the crane, he slowed, his dragon flapping its wings furiou
sly to stay in the air.
Evan drew in a breath, knowing what was coming next. He felt as if there was a television audience that they’d know what was coming next too. But would they know how it ended?
Nathaniel held up his hand.
Evan didn’t react. Not yet. There was no reason, although he knew what his very uncreative opponent would do next.
In a no-show of surprises, Nathaniel shot another bolt of lightning at Coral and Evan. It streaked through the air.
Evan calmly held up his hand but didn’t block the electricity. Instead, he directed the crane to swing around, the larger side rotating and catching the bolt of lightning and ricocheting it back at its maker. Usually the crane would have absorbed the shock, but Evan’s quick thinking had fixed that with a spell.
The electricity raced through the air, and there was no time for Nathaniel or his dragon to react. It hit them squarely. The voltage covered them immediately, shocking them all over and sending them plummeting to the ground, where they cracked the pavement—dead immediately.
Chapter One Hundred Nineteen
If Wilder had faced a room full of dragonriders holding swords, the advantage he held over them would be different. He’d have information—knowledge connected to the weapon. That could be helpful, but usually in a long-term game.
However, Wilder’s power as a weapons expert gave him different advantages when facing a bunch of coward demon dragonriders holding guns. He couldn’t control missiles or cannons or other large weaponry. Guns on this scale? Well, this was his game.
He grinned as all the guys who thought they were about to blast him to hell released the safety on their guns in unison and pulled the trigger.